Blazing Desire
by sorceress of the dawn
Summary: Patrick Drake is never far from Robin's mind, and neither is she from his, but can they find love with Patrick's arrogant and stubborn nature and Robin's illness in the way? And will Patrick ever be able to mend his relationship with his father?
1. Chapter 1

_**Blazing Desire**_

Robin Scorpio stared at the stacks of research before her, trying to get immersed in its words. _Medical Data Sheet…_her mind drifted after the first three words and she bit her lip. _Focus, Robin,_ she mentally chastised, furious at herself for her inability to do so—more so because of what she was focusing on instead.

_Patrick Drake. _The delicious new doctor was never far from her mind, especially since he had expressed interest in her, ridding her fear of unrequited love. _But I messed up any chance I had with him. _Robin reminded herself of the night Carly had revealed her secret—as well as her reaction to it. She'd mistaken his understanding and concern for pity, and chewed him out for it. Although regretful now, Robin had decided against doing anything about it for the moment. _I'll let things cool down first, _She reasoned, but she knew it was an excuse. She was just afraid that Patrick's feelings for her had changed, and she didn't want to face that possibility.

Sighing, Robin grabbed a rubber band for her hair and deftly tied it in a messy ponytail. She returned to the piece of paper before her. _Doctors provide new research on brain tumors…would Patrick be interested in this? _She suddenly asked herself, and then groaned aloud. That man would just not get out of her head. _Stop thinking about him_, She warned herself. Unfortunately she knew now that she'd do nothing but that.

Pushing herself out of her chair, Robin got up and got a glass from the cabinet. She poured herself a glass of red wine, hoping that it would allow her to pour _herself _back into her work. She sat back down and took a sip, savoring the flavor—and the kick that accompanied it. She returned to her research but it was to no avail: Now all she could think about was sharing a glass with Patrick…perhaps in a hot tub.

_Get a grip, girl. _Robin closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Such…trivial thoughts were out of character for her. No man had ever distracted her from her work; Well, not in a long time, anyway. _Maybe I should apologize to him…_Robin mused, disgustingly noting that she'd probably not get any work done until she did. And after…well, even that was debatable.

Robin got up, grabbing her coat and her keys. She hurried as quick as she could—before she lost her nerve, and was left to merely fantasizing again.

A knock at the door startled Patrick Drake from his daydreams. He got up from his couch and opened the door, glad for the distraction from his constant thoughts on a certain female…

The person in front of him surprised him. "Dad?" Patrick eyed his father with astonishment. His hair was disheveled, his eyes were bloodshot, and his breath smelled strongly of whisky. Patrick felt a familiar twist in his gut. His father was drunk. No surprises there.

The older doctor Drake smiled wanly. "H-hello, son. Aren't you going to let your old man c-come in?" He hiccupped.

Patrick moved away from the doorframe to allow his father to do so.

"Buh-bye the way, there's a girl outside."

Yes, his father was definitely drunk.

"Why don't you sit down, Dad?" Patrick motioned towards the couch.

Noah Drake sat down, his hands shaking slightly. "C-could you get me a drink?"

Anger seared through Patrick and he tried to fight it down. How could his father destroy himself so—through mind-numbing alcohol? How could he waste away the rest of his life, after already throwing away his career? "No, Dad. I think you've had enough." He said firmly.

"Son, p-please," Noah persisted.

"Goddamn it, Dad, why do you do this to yourself?" Patrick yelled, barely refraining himself from throwing something heavy across the room.

His father was silent for a moment, and Patrick took a deep breath to try to calm himself down.

"It's just…" Noah began, "S-since your mother died…I c-can't f-find the reason to live sometimes…alcohol…numbs the pain…" He finished helplessly.

Patrick felt a lump rise in his throat of its own accord. Damn it, since when had he worn his feelings on his sleeve? He knelt down so he was eye-level with his father, and sighed—already feeling remorse for yelling at him. "Okay, Dad." He said, not sure of what else he could say when his father was in such a state. He examined his father then, making sure he was alright.

"No signs of alcohol poisoning," Patrick mumbled to himself, "But you're going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow morning." He rose and moved to get a blanket from the closet.

"Son?" Noah started again, his eyelids now just half open.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"I'm sorry for being such a bad father to you, you deserved so much better."

Patrick covered his father with a blanket, choosing not to comment. He got a glass of water and two aspirin, put them on the table next to the sofa where his father would be sure to see them when he woke up, and kissed him on the forehead.

Noah was already asleep.

"You weren't a bad father," Patrick almost whispered.

And that was when he heard the crash, and saw a certain auburn-haired girl in his foyer.


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you doing here?" Patrick's voice was louder than Robin would have liked. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but when she saw the door left open she couldn't help herself. She noticed wryly that Patrick's voice was not dripping with his usual playboy charm or even arrogance. It was dripping with anger and surprise. What she'd witnessed just now was just him being himself, and amazingly caring. There were no barriers of conceit, or even overconfidence—and what she saw had made her fall for him just a little deeper. So when she'd decided it would be a good time to leave, half distracted for growing infatuation, she'd accidentally knocked down a vase, putting her in her current predicament.

"I just came to apologize, and, well, the door was open…" Robin finished weakly. It sounded stupid, even in her head, especially since she'd just gotten upset at Patrick for eavesdropping during her deposition.

Patrick smirked. "Came to apologize…or because you simply couldn't resist me any longer?"

Robin realized that now that he had gotten over the shock of finding her here, his usual self was back—the façade that hid his true feelings from the outside. "Are you sure you're alright, Patrick? I heard…"

"What you heard doesn't matter," Patrick waved away her concern, his voice turning seductive. "What matters is you couldn't keep away from me any longer, and that's all I care about."

Swallowing hard, Robin shook her head. What kind of a mask did Patrick Drake hide behind? He'd managed to switch from hurt and exposed tobrash and arrogant in five seconds flat. "I came here to apologize," She repeated firmly, crossing her arms.

Patrick shrugged and walked towards her until he towered before her and she was forced to look up into his eyes. He tilted her chin up with his index finger and treated her to a cocky grin. "Well maybe its not too late to change that." He whispered into her ear.

Robin's breath caught in her throat. All rational thoughts left her and she mentally cursed her inability to handle herself around him.

As Patrick's head inclined lower, his lips dangerously close to Robin's, she managed to turn herself away. Drawing in a shaky breath, she repeated with an emphasis she really didn't feel, "I came here _to apologize_. Nothing else."

Patrick shrugged, as if the blatant rejection was nothing to him. "Suit yourself, Robin, but I think in hindsight you're going to regret it."

Although the fact that Patrick had seemed so vulnerable minutes ago disconcerted her, his irritating arrogance took top priority for the moment. "Maybe I should take lessons from you then," Robin managed straight-faced, "Considering you are the one with the better _hind _sight."

Patrick seemed to get the reference to his…enjoying the nurses' figures—including their _derrieres_—but he remained unabashed. "Robin," He chuckled, and Robin grudgingly admired his gorgeous dimples, and the twinkle in his chocolate brown eyes when he smiled. "Robin, green is not a good look for you,"

That snapped Robin out of her trance. "Excuse me? I think you're mistaken, Dr. Drake, because right now I'm seeing red and if you continue being so nauseatingly bigheaded, _you _are going to be black and blue."

Patrick's smile never wavered. "Is that so?" He asked lazily. "I'm nauseatingly bigheaded? Do I make you sick, Robin?" He sidled back closer to her, "Because I was under the impression that I turn you on."

A shiver went down Robin's spine, but she kept her face impassive. Barely.

"One day I'm going to thaw that icy exterior of yours, Robin Scorpio," Patrick murmured, "In fact, I'm going to make you melt."

Robin knew she should be completely disgusted by his proposition, but she found herself oddly excited by the prospect. All logic was telling her to get out now, before she did something she'd regret, but she desperately wanted to know what made Patrick tick. She knew that wasn't a good idea either, and that Patrick would detest her prying, but someone needed to get behind his mask, and she was just the woman to do it. "What happened between you and your father?" Robin blurted out, and immediately regretted her bluntness—and her timing.

Patrick's facial features visibly changed. The corners of his mouth edged into a frown, and his brow furrowed. He crossed his arms and began to speak, his voice losing its flippant tone. "I don't want to talk about that."

"I know you don't, Patrick, but it might help. I overheard the exchange between the two of you. You need to talk to someone about the pent up feelings you have, or at least explain them to your father. Your relationship will stagnate or worsen otherwise, and I don't think you want that." Robin closed her eyes and took a breath, bracing herself for his answer.

"Who made you head of the Drake affairs, Robin?" Patrick asked coldly. "You're not a psychiatrist, so pardon me when I say that I don't think you know what the hell you're talking about. I think it would be best if you leave now."

The anguish and pain in Patrick's eyes became so clear that Robin's heart twist in empathy. He was obviously hurt by whatever he had gone through with his father, but it was important for him to face those feelings. Robin walked up to him, and forced herself to look him in the eye. "I will," She said, "But I think deep down, you know I'm right." She pushed herself up onto the balls of her feet, kissed him chastely on the cheek, and walked out without another word.


	3. Chapter 3

"Dr. Scorpio?"

Robin looked up, breaking away from her trance. "Yeah?"

Liz smiled at her. "Boy, you sure seem lost in thought today."

Robin let out a sigh, trying to let out her thoughts about the previous night as she did. "Sorry. I…didn't get much sleep last night," She tried to explain; and it was true, to a point—Robin hadn't slept much last night. She'd been thinking about Patrick.

"Hot date?" The accused asked, interrupting their conversation—and succeeding in invading Robin's thoughts once again. Patrick treated her to a cocky grin. "And here I thought you had no social life…"

How the man could be so infuriating, Robin didn't know. He knew _exactly _where she was last night, so why was he toying around? She swallowed, recalling how such a different part of him had been revealed that night. A part that he seemed to so easily shunt aside in place of a flirtatious façade.

Who was the real Patrick Drake? Robin wondered. And she'd do everything she could to find out.

"Hello?" Patrick waved his hand across her face. His grin grew wider and he winked. "Last night must have been pretty amazing."

"Yeah," Liz agreed. "I've never seen you this distracted. Care the share the details?" She looked at Patrick. "Once the good doctor gets to work…"

"Is that my cue to leave?" Patrick smirked.

"You're wanted in room five, anyway," Liz answered, smiling as she handed him a manila folder.

"Well then, ladies, gossip away," Patrick made a sweeping bow in jest and left.

"So," Liz prompted, elbowing Robin in the ribs.

"So what?" Robin feigned ignorance.

"So, _spill_!" Liz exclaimed. "Did you have a date last night?"

Robin blinked, trying to compose herself. She'd never been any good at lying. "No, of course not. I spent the night researching. I guess I just had a touch of insomnia."

"Ah." Liz nodded, and Robin wondered whether or not she should be insulted that Robin bought the lie so quickly.

"Yup," Robin continued, "So no story to tell, sorry."

"Make sure to tell me when there is," Liz said earnestly, and then broke out into another grin, "but in the meantime, are you up for a cup of coffee?"

"No, sorry," Robin shook her head, "I have an impromptu meeting in a few minutes—we're discussing the possibility of Manny faking his sudden personality change. Rain check?"

"Sure," Liz patted her on the shoulder. "Have fun at the conference."

Robin doubted she would. There was a lot of controversy over whether or not Manny's recovery was real and tension was running high. She and Patrick were the only doctors going, but Alexis, Ric, and Durant were going to be there too. The mix of people there wasn't going to help matters either.

She walked towards the conference room, wondering how it was going to go, when she bumped into the very last person she wanted to see.

"We meet again," Patrick Drake said mock-ominously.

"Yes, unfortunately," Robin turned away and crossed her arms.

Patrick tilted her chin up, "Why 'unfortunately'?" Patrick asked, grinning complacently. "I think it was very fortunate."

"Fortune it for me, no doubt." Robin's patience with his arrogance was running very thin. Why had she picked the biggest—not to mention bigheaded—flirt to like? Maybe she had imbalanced hormones or something.

"You wound me, Robin," Patrick's tone was light but Robin could see a hint of seriousness in his eyes. Had she hurt his feelings?

"You really think I'm that arrogant?" Patrick continued in a hushed voice, his dark brown eyes bore into Robin's with such intensity that Robin felt a chill go down her spine. "You think I don't have feelings for you?"

Somewhere between losing her breath and wanting to melt, Robin found her voice. "Have you given me reason to think otherwise?" She countered.

"Haven't I?" Patrick tossed back.

"_No. _You flirt with any and everything in a skirt. You act like a—"

But Robin didn't get to finish. Patrick cut her off by placing his mouth on hers. It was gentle at first, but grew more and more passionate. Patrick's arms were around her, and she had lifted hers to put around his neck when she regained her senses and shoved him instead. "How…_dare _you!" Robin gasped, shock speaking for her before reason could.

Patrick's gaze hardened as he frowned down at her. "You're colder than I thought. I give up, Robin. I'm done." He turned away then, forcing Robin to watch his retreating back with complete and utter regret.


End file.
